How much time do you spend on your T1D outside of Twitter?

This question was recently put out there on one of my Twitter friend’s feed.I’d like to say I rarely think about my diabetes, but I don’t think that would be true as evidenced by the photo of my personal 'T1D' cupboard in our bathroom. I don’t feel like I spend a lot of time thinking about it, yet it affects many of my decisions every day, but really only in the sense of:

Eating, drinking, jabbing, packing sugar/snacks, refilling countless prescriptions, exercising, working, and the constant checking, checking, checking…

And, yet, it still doesn’t seem to take over my life.

With the advent of technology like CGMs and the Freestyle Libre, I spend a lot less time worrying about it in general now that I know where I’m trending on my glucose levels, so I can instantly correct any upcoming highs or lows .That’s been a huge change in self-management for me. And oddly, I feel like now that I have high-tech, I actually ‘think’ about my T1D more than I used to…sometimes I used to switch off, whereas now, the technology doesn’t let me.

I just asked my eight year old if my diabetes affects her life. She said: “what are you talking about?” and I think that sums up how it affects the people in my family, not because I don’t let it, but I think it’s just a naturally simulated part of me now (Mommy always has some sort of candy on her and is sometimes crazy crabby when she’s hypo, or conveniently schedules ballet class near the chemist). I know the only person who probably ever really worries about my diabetes is my mom. But that’s what mothers do.

I like to follow the online diabetes community on Twitter because I find it to be a very positive and supportive place for type 1s. I spend a lot of time lurking in the shadows listening to peoples’ woes and fears and just funny comments that are so relatable. I regularly want to comment, but I stop myself. Why? Primarily as I am very sarcastic, I wouldn’t want anything to be misconstrued because I don’t ever want to lessen or diminish anyone else’s struggles. Sometimes I have so much advice to dispense, but then so does everyone else. The problem here becomes that with all of our type 1 it affects us all so differently.

Anyway, the bottom line is: I feel lucky. Lucky to be problem free (cross fingers now for 18 years), but also lucky to be living at a time where we have this amazing technology and the ability to be part of community of relative strangers who are all rooting for one another.

In January I saw a Tweet from within the #gbdoc about trying to get as many T1Ds as possible to run the Swansea half marathon on June 24th this year to make the Guinness Book of World Records.

I was thrilled. I’m a runner. I’m Type 1. My daughter loves the Guinness Book of World Records. I’m in.

I love that this small piece of social media (more technology!) I spend relatively little time on has opened up a huge opportunity for not only me, but the world to see how T1D does NOT have to affect us. Now I am currently spending even less time thinking about my T1D and worrying about getting those miles under my New Balance trainers by June.

Wish me luck!

#T1D #GuinnessBookofWorldRecords #SwanseaHalfMarathon #NewBalance #gbdoc #Twitter #Tweet #AbbotFreestyleLibre #CGM